VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2
APRIL 2005
THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF DEATH AND
DYING
Anthsci 175 HumBio 106
Professor: Dr. Ronald Barrett
Email: rb2@stanford.edu
This service-learning seminar course combines a real-world hospice volunteer experience
with an examination of human death and dying from cross-cultural perspectives. All
students will be trained as hospice volunteers and assigned a patient for weekly visits as
part of the course. Lectures begin with an overview on how people die: the processes of
decline in major illnesses. We will survey funerary traditions from a variety of cultures
and compare the social, spiritual, and psychological roles that these rituals play for both
the living and the dying. We will critically analyze controversial issues regarding brain
death, suicide, and euthanasia. We will examine cultural attitudes towards death; and
how the denial and awareness of human mortality can shape social practices and
institutions. Finally, we will consider issues regarding the quality of life, the burden of
care, and hospice traditions around the world.
Note: This will be a service-learning course with enrollment restricted to 12 students.
Assigned Readings:
* Justice, C. (1997)
Holy City.
Dying the Good Death: The Pilgrimage to Die in India’s
(0-7914-3262-9)
* Kastenbaum, R. (2002)
Death, Society, and Human Experience (8th ed.)
(0205381936)
* Lawton, J. (2000)
Care.
The Dying Process: Patient’s Experiences of Palliative
(0-415-22679-1)
* Nuland, S. (1993)
How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter.
* Roach, M. (2003)
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. (0-393-32482-
(0-679-74244-1)
6).
* Tolstoy, L. (1981)
The Death of Ivan Ilych (0-553-21035-1)
Note: Permissions to use this material must be obtained directly from the author.
Spirituality in Higher Education Newsletter-April 2005 ● Volume 2, Issue 2 ● Page 1
Additional Readings on Coursework Reserve.
Grading:
Hospice Practicum
Training, patient visits, and journal.
30%
Research Paper
Class Participation
Short Quizzes
10 pages plus class presentation
Class, process sessions, and online
35%
15%
20%
Lecture Schedule
Sept 27
Course Introduction and Overview.
a) Kastenbaum: Chap 3.
Sept 29
Selection Interviews
Oct 4
The Hospice Movement
a) Kastenbaum: Chap. 6
b) Lawton: Chaps 1 and 2
c) Coursework Reserve: Mor et al (1988)
d) Coursework Reserve: Saunders (1976)
Oct 6
Hospice Training: The Bereavement Process
Oct 8
Palliative Care
a) Kastenbaum: Chap 5
b) Lawton: Chaps 4 and 5
c) Coursework Reserve: Hahn (1997)
Oct 11
Hospice Training: Pain and Symptom Management
Oct 13
How We Die: The physical process of dying
a) Nuland: Chaps 1-5.
Oct 18
How We Die: The physical process of dying II
a) Nuland: Chaps 9-12.
Oct 20
Brain Death
a) Kastenbaum: Chaps 3 and 7
Note: Permissions to use this material must be obtained directly from the author.
Spirituality in Higher Education Newsletter-April 2005 ● Volume 2, Issue 2 ● Page 2
Oct 22
Abstract, Outline, and Biblographies due.
Oct 25
Cryogenics, Transplantation, and Immortality
Oct 27
Why We Die: Theodicy and Mortality
a) Tolstoy: beginning to end.
b) Coursework: Kubler-Ross (1997)
c) Coursework: Aries (1991)
Nov 1
Why We Die: Mortality and Denial
a) Becker: Chaps 5,7,9
b) Coursework: Becker (1983)
Nov 3
Funerary Rites and Bereavement I
a) Justice: Chaps 1-5
b) Kastenbaum: Chap. 12
c) Coursework: Gilanshah (1993)
Nov 8
Funerary Rites and Bereavement II
a) Kastenbaum: Chap 13
b) Justice: Chaps 6-9
c) Coursework Bliatout (1993)
d) Coursework: Mandelbaum (1965)
Nov 11
The Funeral Industry
a) Coursework: Mitford (2000)
Nov 12
First Paper Draft Due
Nov 15
Post-Mortem I
a) Roach (2003): Chaps 1-5
Nov 17
Post-Mortem II
b) Roach (2003): Chaps 6-10
Nov 22
Suicide vs. Euthanasia
a) Kastenbaum: Chap 10
b) Coursework: Osgood (2000)
c) Coursework: Firestone (2000)
d) Coursework: Davies (1989)
e) Coursework: Newman (1989)
Nov 24
The Death of Children
a) Kastenbaum: Chap 11
b) Coursework: Ball (1996)
c) Coursework: Young (1997)
Note: Permissions to use this material must be obtained directly from the author.
Spirituality in Higher Education Newsletter-April 2005 ● Volume 2, Issue 2 ● Page 3
d) Coursework: Furman (1977)
Nov 29
Student Presentations
Dec 1
Course Wrap-Up
Dec 6
Final Paper Due
Note: Permissions to use this material must be obtained directly from the author.
Spirituality in Higher Education Newsletter-April 2005 ● Volume 2, Issue 2 ● Page 4